Pakistan’s current laws have not deterred the production or sale of fake medicines, adulterated food, and low-quality daily goods. Strict legislation and heavy financial penalties are urgently needed. Protecting the public from counterfeit drugs and pesticides would improve overall health, reduce the national health bill by billions, and boost agricultural output, benefiting millions of farmers and consumers.
Prominent business leader and former president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, Shahid Rasheed Butt, said manufacturers, suppliers, importers, and exporters of counterfeit goods must face exemplary punishment. He proposed at least 10 years’ imprisonment and fines of Rs200 million, with higher penalties for repeat offenses. He also called for decisive action against the ghee, cooking oil, poultry, and milk mafia exploiting consumers for profit.
He suggested that consignments of substandard imports should be destroyed or returned at the importer’s cost, and that the business be permanently sealed. He warned that protecting agriculture, the environment, and public health is impossible without strong laws and enforcement. He added that statements alone cannot solve the problem, and the network behind fake medicines, substandard food, and everyday goods must be dismantled to shield citizens, farmers, and the economy.
Shahid Rasheed Butt noted that Pakistan faces a serious consumer protection crisis. Studies show 40 to 85 percent of medicines are counterfeit or substandard, and the country accounts for 13.3 percent of global fake drug production. Food adulteration affects 66 percent of milk, 75 percent of ghee, and 85 percent of tea in major cities. Fake pesticides continue to harm crops and farmer incomes. Over 700,000 deaths annually are linked to antimicrobial resistance, 30 to 40 percent of hospital admissions involve unsafe food, and households bear most healthcare costs. Yet, enforcement remains weak and far below the scale of the problem.
Recent enforcement operations in Punjab disposed of 222,000 liters of adulterated milk, 40,000 rotten eggs, and 34,000 kilograms of unsafe meat, while 103 ghee and cooking oil brands were declared unfit for consumption. Other provinces should also take similar steps aimed at the welfare of the masses, he demanded.
